Is that a real, downloadable app?
Here is some commentary from last year on this type of app
Jan. 11 2012
“Avoid Ghetto” app slammed as “racist” – but is it really?
By David Menzies for MSN Autos
It’s funny how some people specialize in making mountains out of molehills – and finding offence where nothing offensive exists.
Case in point: a new Microsoft technology that helps users avoid “unsafe neighbourhoods” is generating controversy and even eliciting bizarre claims of racist undertones.
The back story: recently, Microsoft was awarded a patent for a feature on GPS devices. The feature, which will reportedly be part of future Windows phones, takes into account weather and crime statistics when suggesting routes. According to the patent filing, the technology will help a user avoid passing through an “unsafe neighborhood or being in an open area that is subject to harsh temperatures.”
I call that sort of information “helpful.” But the usual suspects are inexplicably labeling it as “racist”. They even refer to the technology as the “Avoid Ghetto” app (of course that is not the official name of the app.)
Still, some misguided critics are heaping scorn on this GPS feature. According to a report in Wired, one journal called the app “perfect for all your racist friends.”
But that’s ludicrous. The app analyzes crime stats – not the racial or cultural background of a particular neighbourhood.
The inanity continues: “What if someone using a route from this system does get mugged, shot, assaulted, or robbed?” wonders Chris Matyszczyk at CNET. “Would they feel entitled to sue Microsoft because the route was supposed to be ‘ghetto-free’?”
Yes, Chris, that’s exactly what Microsoft is promising: a route guaranteed to be free of all indignities, from muggers to mosquitoes or your money back.
Thankfully, some are defending the app. Anna North at Jezebel says the app could actually help women avoid rape. If Microsoft includes “rape stats in their route recommendations, they may be arming ladies with some extra information.”
Bottom line: people have avoided travelling through rough neighbourhoods for centuries. If, say, a shopkeeper tells a tourist to avoid a certain section of the city, is that person being a hateful racist or a helpful realist?
The Microsoft app is merely a case of technology replacing word-of-mouth. The harsh reality is, no matter where you go, there are good neighbourhoods and there are bad. Arming yourself with information that helps you avoid the bad neighbourhoods is simply a matter of applying good old-fashioned common sense. Nothing racist about that.